Small businesses utilising social media to compete with bigger rivals

European small businesses are leading the first generation of digitally-native businesses, with mobile social networking and innovative technology tools becoming the backbone of how they do business day to day.

According to research commissioned by BlackBerry – maker Research In Motion (RIM), leaders who regularly use mobile social networking are much more likely to be growth-oriented and optimistic about small businesses role in the economy than their counterparts who do not use the technology.

Digital communications tools, mobile computing and social networks, are an important part of small businesses operations for three quarters (74%) of all respondents, with a quarter (24%) positioning digital as an ‘integral part’ of business operations.

Seven out of 10 (67%) agree that these tools have allowed them to build closer relationships with their customers and partners. Interestingly seven out of 10 (72%) of business that don’t use social networks stated that winning new customers and partners is a key business priority for the next 12 months, but six out of 10 (59%) of these businesses don’t see the value in mobile social networking.